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Posted on: May 15, 2019

City Manager's Report- May 2019

City Manager’s Report – May 2019

Cancelling/Rescheduling Events

We want to explain why we cancel events because of weather and why it is so hard to reschedule that same event. Our events are funded by sponsorships and we are the stewards of that hard-earned money. Costs include:

Advertising

Entertainment

Stages

Sound

Lights

Port-A-Johns

Security

Special Features

Many other items

When the weather forecast is predicting 80 to 100% rain, event organizers have to make a VERY hard decision. In addition to rain, you can experience heavy winds and lightning. We cannot stress how hard it is to cancel an event. We and the event volunteers work months making our events the very best they can be. We have to decide to go ahead and possibly lose a lot of money or cancel and save as much as possible. We try to provide professional musicians, but their contracts demand payment whether they play or not if you have booked them for an event. Stages cost thousands of dollars, and once they are on site, you are forced to pay for them, even if a thunderstorm happens ten minutes after they arrive. You also have to consider the expense your food vendors are about to put into your event. If they start preparing food and it rains, they also can lose thousands of dollars.

Probably the most important factor is the safety of our visitors and our volunteers. We try to consult with emergency services, police and meteorologists in order to make the best decision possible. In 2012, a sudden straight-line wind blew through Washington Street on the Saturday night of RiverFest. The stage overhead rack shook violently, tents flew up in the air, and people scattered for shelter. This is what can happen during this type of weather event that was forecasted the night of the recently cancelled Oink & Ale. We cannot be good stewards of these events and expose our citizens, vendors and workers to such potential danger.

Once you cancel, it is very difficult to pull a large event back together. Your bands are usually booked a year in advance and they do not agree to block-out make-up dates without an additional cost because that prevents them from accepting other bookings. Your stage companies, food vendors, etc. all have their schedules booked for the year because this is their business. Therefore, to get all the players back together again on a particular date is nearly impossible.

Please know that we DO NOT ever want to cancel an event. We have invested too much time and effort into the project to want to make that decision. However, sometimes it is just necessary for the safety and well -being of all those involved.

2019 Eden Citizens Academy

On June 1, the City of Eden will begin accepting applications for the 2019 Citizens Academy. The Academy will be held on consecutive Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., beginning August 15 and running through October 10. A graduation ceremony will be held at the October 15 meeting of the Eden City Council.

The Academy is a free, nine-session interactive course designed to provide residents with an in-depth look into municipal government. It is open to all city and ETJ residents, city business or property owners, and anyone who works in the city. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Apply in Administration at Eden City Hall or online at https://www.edennc.us/322/Citizens-Academy. Class size is limited to 20 participants.

For more information, please contact Deanna Hunt, City Clerk at 336-623-2110, option 8, or dhunt@edennc.us.

Effective June 1, all six of the recycling drop port sites located throughout the city will be closed and all recyclables can be dropped off at our recycling center that is located at 123 Mebane Bridge road. The recyclables allowed consist of the following: plastic containers, mixed paper, used oil, batteries, cardboard, aluminum cans and tin cans. We DO NOT accept tires.

Our Mebane Bridge site is currently being renovated to better handle the recycling material and ease of access. In addition, the site will have longer hours of operation. As of June 1, the recycling center will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday thru Sunday. The facility will be closed on Mondays and will be closed in observance of 11 holidays throughout the course of the year.

According to the NC Department of Environmental Quality, the City of Eden is only allowed to accept recycling material from Eden residents. As such, we will be furnishing a vehicle sticker to Eden residents the first time they visit the site to drop off their recyclables. Once residency has been verified, a sticker will be given to the resident. The sticker must be displayed in the right rear of their vehicle. Each sticker will be numbered and assigned to that vehicle only. If a resident needs more than one sticker, for other vehicles they own, that vehicle must be driven to the site on a subsequent visit to the recycling center in order to be registered to receive a recycling sticker.

Anyone caught dumping at the drop port sites after the drop port sites have been closed is susceptible to being charged for illegal dumping. For additional questions regarding any of these issues, please call 336-627-7781 ext. 103 or email Dusty Curry, Superintendent of Solid Waste at dcurry@edennc.us.

Eden Youth Council

Are you ready to serve? The City is currently accepting applications for the 2019-20 City of Eden Youth Council. Membership is open to individuals who live in the Morehead High School Attendance Zone (MHS, college, homeschool or private school students) and are between the ages of 14 and 20.

What can you expect?

Service opportunities

Develop leadership and professional skills

Networking with civic leaders

Coordinate opportunities for Eden youth

Great experience to list on resumes and college applications

If you are interested in applying, you can get your application at Eden City Hall - Administration, or Morehead High School Student Affairs Office. For additional information, please contact Jennifer Woods at jwoods@edennc.us.

Economic & Tourism Development

770 Ventures (MillerCoors)

This company continues to interview brokers to market the site to food and beverage manufacturers. City and County staff are continuing the Duke Energy Site Readiness process, which will culminate in a late May meeting in Eden. This will make the site more marketable by providing a thorough assessment of the site’s assets and needs.

The Tile Shop

This company is located off Friendly Road just over the VA state line in Ridgeway. They have taken over the Evans Warehouse on Roundhouse Road in Eden and have five employees working there after spending a considerable amount on building up-fits. They plan to be there long-term and could have additional growth opportunities if store expansions continue. This company has grown from 62 to 77 employees with 85% of their employees being either Eden or NC residents. They support local Eden businesses and consider themselves part of the Eden community. This distribution center services 36 retail stores (the company has 145 stores and is growing). They also manufacture grouts and other setting materials in their local warehouse. Eden is their second largest distribution center after one in Michigan.

Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)

On Thursday, April 11, staff joined representatives of Danville and Pittsylvania County, VA in addressing the VDOT public hearing held in Lynchburg, VA. The purpose of the meeting was to express support for the proposed $31 million allocation to fund the connector road from Berry Hill Road to the Danville Expressway. The Route 58 Development State Funds that will be available July 1, 2019, were used to fund this project. Right now, the official completion date is 2025 but they expect this to be expedited considerably, especially if a project is landed at the mega site.

North Carolina Economic Development Association (NCEDA)

This organization scheduled a day to meet with Legislators in Raleigh on Tuesday, April 16. City staff participated in two meetings. The first included staff from the City of Eden, the Rockingham County and the City of Reidsville. They met with Senator Phil Berger’s Policy Advisor, Alex Fagg. They discussed expediting the I-785 extension from Hicone Road in Guilford County to Highway 29, exit 153 — Eden/Reidsville/Yanceyville. They used information about the VDOT Connector Road (see above) funding and the many large prospects that have considered the mega site. It was noted how it would benefit Reidsville and Eden to be much closer to an interstate highway than we are now. Reidsville would be 1-2 miles from it; Eden 10. This is far better than our current situations. Highway accessibility is a critical factor in many industrial projects.

Also discussed was the Norfolk Southern rail line that was damaged from the fall of 2018 hurricanes. The railroad will not declare the line abandoned and will make the necessary repairs and reopen the line if a user is found for MillerCoors. There may be assistance from both NC and VA for these repairs.

The group then joined the NCEDA leadership and lobbyist law firm Smith Anderson in a meeting with NC Senate Pro-Tem Phil Berger. Senator Berger was asked to give some of his priorities in this term. They are looking at infrastructure funding — but the scope of infrastructure needs is immense. The gas tax has not produced the required transportation funds, part of this being attributed to more electric cars on the road. Senator Berger recognized the rural hospital issues and workforce development challenges. He is conducting roundtable discussions on workforce education to determine how to attract the talent that companies need. Career coaches from community colleges working with high school students is a promising program. He also talked about the efforts to implement broadband in areas that are currently not served.

Economic Development Administration (EDA)

The City is working with Rockingham Community College staff on seeking an EDA grant to assist with either the construction or equipment for the Workforce Development Center. The EDA has provided $2.0 million+ grants to three NC Community Colleges in the recent past.

Rockingham County Land Use Process

City staff participated in a Rockingham County Land Use Process in early May. Each represented community — Eden, Reidsville, Madison and Wentworth — spoke of their land use plans and economic development strategies. The consultant working with the County will have individual meetings with each community and there will be future collective meetings on this topic.

¼ Cent Sales Tax—First Anniversary

The City spearheaded a meeting with the committee members that worked on this successful 2018 campaign. The purpose was to determine the Workforce Development Center status and to begin a second campaign to let the community know what is happening with the funding. Since we are at the first anniversary of the tax vote, a comprehensive effort will be made to reach all of the civic and other groups that were contacted last year seeking support. A sign rendering of the proposed Workforce Development Center will also appear on the college campus in the near future.

Rock-A-Top Apprenticeship Program

Two local companies are considering participating in this countywide apprenticeship program. Students from all four of the County high schools are participating in the program that provides paid work for students, an Associate’s degree and employment.

Gildan Sock Sale

Gildan will hold a sock sale from June 11 through June 15 at the former Pennies for Change space in Meadow Greens Shopping Center.

Fitness Center

A national fitness center company is in final negotiations with a local shopping center to establish an Eden location. More information on this company will be provided in the June 2019 report.

Azure Women’s Apparel

This is a great women’s clothing store located at 238 W. King’s Highway. They have new items to make you look your best this spring and summer. They are open Monday-Friday, 11:00 am-6:00 pm and Saturday, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Call 336-637-6054 for more information or check out their Facebook page.

Bridge Street Parking Lot

This parking lot has begun to attract investment on the eastern section of Washington Street. The lot is near completion with just mounting of a dedication sign, bench installation and light landscaping to be completed. The remaining work will exhaust a grant provided by the Home Savings Endowment.

Sections of 618 Washington Street and the Historic Former Smith and Lane building at 624 Washington Street are being converted into efficiencies, one, and two bedroom apartments. The owner intends to make them affordable, offer free Wi-Fi, and hot water (meaning the natural gas cost to heat the water will be included in the rent.) Efficiencies are being priced at $675 with one bedrooms at $825 and two bedrooms at $925 per month. Convenient rear parking has just been developed by the City. Please call 561-313-9309 for additional information.

Fieldcrest Public Space

The perimeter lighting has been mounted to the interior walls. Suspension wires were placed across the space and strings of festoon bulbs were hung. The lights are illuminated through a photoelectric switch that lights the space at dusk. The corrugated sliding metal doors are ready to be mounted and will be put in place soon. Look forward to a ribbon cutting ceremony this spring.

Eden Downtown Development Inc.

The board of directors met May 13 for their EDDI regular meeting. The Design sub-committee project of custom painting downtown fire hydrants has begun with the first two completed on Henry Street. One represents a Dalmatian located near the Fire Department building and the other represents the Henry Street clock near Leaksville United Methodist Church. Several other designs have been approved. If you would like to participate contact rhunt@edennc.us. The Rockingham Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (REAP) has moved up its scheduled roll out to July. Susan Reagan, Director of RCC’s Small Business Center is working closely with the County’s Economic Development department and representatives of the City of Eden. The EDDI received its formal accreditation certificate from the NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center.

Leaksville Commercial Shopping District

Southern Julip, a new women’s clothing and accessory boutique is expected to open at 711 Washington Street in July. The owner of 729 Washington Street is on track to begin building out his restaurant themed for its rich history as the Hampton Buggy Company. 3’s Company, a new hair salon has opened at 704 Patrick Street.

Boulevard Merchants

The Merchants are planning another food truck rodeo October 5 in conjunction with a battle of the bands to be called Rocktoberfest. They have scheduled their next Cars and Crabs event for July 27. They have requested a list of property owners to contact about possible improvements. The list will be compiled by the City of Eden Planning and Inspections Department.

Monroe Street

The former Body Fit Fitness Therapy building is under contract. The new owners have made no decision on what they plan to do with the building.

609 Bridge Street

A local company has purchased the former rental equipment building. They plan to use it in conjunction with their current business and will have additional available office space.

137 Fieldcrest Road

The owner of the former Pharmacy Land building in Draper is meeting with Rockingham County Habitat for Humanity. Habitat recently closed their facility on Washington Street.

National Parks Service Historic Preservation Sub Grant

Staff has been working on a grant application that could award up to $750,000 for Eden historic properties. Those included in the grant were two historic Washington Street properties, the Nantucket Mill, and Spray Cotton Mill. The City would divide the funding up to assist all four buildings. The City will know in the fall of 2019 if the grant application has been approved.

Grown & Gathered

Our spring farm to fork dinner will be held May 23 along the beautiful Canal at the Spray Mercantile. Chef’s Ross and Amy Hammond are preparing a delicious dinner made with ingredients grown and produced locally. The Morehead High School Jazz Ensemble will provide entertainment and Our State Magazine will be on site filming for an upcoming video. It should be a beautiful evening!

Piedmont Pottery Festival

We hope everyone will join us on June 1 from 9 am to 4 pm at the First Presbyterian Church located on Southwood Drive behind Wal-Mart for our 17th Annual Piedmont Pottery Festival. We will have potters from all over the state of North Carolina ready to sell you their beautiful handmade creations and tell you the story behind it. Pottery door prizes will be given away every 30 minutes. Admission is FREE. See you there!

Sunflower Field at Smith River Greenway

The sunflowers are planted at the Smith River Greenway! Keep walking that trail and look for those beautiful flowers to start growing. We should have those bright yellow blooms in 60 to 90 days!

Hispanic Heritage Day Thank You

We would like to thank all the people that helped make our Hispanic Heritage Day with all of Eden’s 5th graders the huge success it was! The kids learned about pinatas, listened to a Mariachi band, ate some delicious authentic foods and had fun taking their photos at the photo booth. This year one of the highlights was the Senior Class Walk Through! It was very exciting and emotional to watch. Congratulations Class of 2019!

Our State Magazine Video/Article

Our State Magazine videographers, photographers and other representatives will be in Eden on May 22 to film a video for the magazine that will accompany a feature article on our City. It will feature our blue ways, trails, downtown, drive-in, and so much more of what makes Eden so unique and beautiful. Our launch date for the completed piece is set for June 22. The finished product will be placed on the magazine’s website and will stay there for 12 months. Check it out!

Newsletter

You can get information about upcoming local events by email through our monthly Explore Downtown newsletter. If you want to subscribe, please send your email address to godowntown@edennc.us

Engineering

Street Resurfacing Projects:

All of the streets scheduled to be resurfaced on the FY 2018-19 Street Resurfacing Contract, No. 2 have been completed. Waugh Asphalt still has approximately 100 tons of stone to place along the shoulders on five streets to complete the contract. The completion date for this project is Friday, May 31.

Waugh Asphalt paved the gravel parking lot at the Leaksville Landing on Wednesday, April 10. Triad Road Maintenance has been issued a work order to install approximately 10 to 12 painted parking spaces on the new lot. Boone Masonry extended the upper end of the concrete driveway to connect it with the asphalt roadway along Hamilton Street on May 7.

The walking track at Freedom Park has now been resurfaced. Waugh Asphalt was awarded this contract.

Dalton Enterprises has been issued a Notice to Proceed for the resurfacing of the walking tracks at the Bridge Street Recreation Center and the Mill Avenue Recreation Center. The completion date for these projects is June 21.

NCDOT State Resurfacing Schedule:

The resurfacing of NC14/Van Buren Road is currently scheduled to resume on Friday, May 17, weather permitting. This project was started last fall but was delayed and then eventually postponed due to weather. The contractor will be installing an FR-SAMI application and an asphalt overlay on the roadway from Cox Street to the Virginia state line.

The Rockingham Resurfacing schedule is underway. Thompson Arthur hopes to start construction on the roads inside the Eden city limits by the end of the month. Sections of Aiken Road, Summit Road, Friendly Road, Northridge Drive, Wilshire Drive, Lincoln Street, Short Union Street and Landfill Drive are all scheduled to be resurfaced in conjunction with this project. Please use extreme caution when traveling in these areas.

Waterline Replacement Projects Update

A crew from Art Stanley Paving arrived on April 17 to follow behind a crew from Joyce Backhoe Service Inc. that was removing the top eight inches of temporary stone from the pavement cuts along Morehead Street, between Glovenia Street and Hollingsworth Street. Two lifts of intermediate asphalt mix were placed and tamped, followed by a single lift of surface wearing course that was compacted by a vibratory roller. Payment of $33,851.35 was approved to Joyce Backhoe Service on May 8.

The crews from Citty’s Plumbing and Pools, Inc. we are working on emergency repairs elsewhere for much of the past month, but by the end of the day on April 25,they had managed to switch four more customers to the new water main installed along Jackson Street and W. Moore Street. The crew returned for three consecutive days starting on May 7 to remove temporary stone from pavement cuts, then place and compact asphalt pavement material. On May 10, a small crew made repairs to a section of concrete driveway that had been cut and removed during the 6-inch diameter water main installation work. Additional maintenance work is to be done to several areas where the shoulder of the streets were disturbed.

A crew from Citty’s Plumbing and Pools, Inc. is expected to return to Ridge Avenue on or by May 17 to cut and plug the old 2-inch diameter galvanized iron water main at the intersection with N. Hale Street. Doing so will require a short shutdown of water service to some residents in the surrounding area. The crew will then repair the two areas of pavement cut during the project.

Joyce Backhoe Service Inc. was allowed to postpone starting work on the West Avenue waterline replacement project in order to handle an important water main replacement project at another location in Rockingham County. That job has taken longer than expected, but a little saw cutting of the West Avenue pavement, just south of Central Avenue is to be done on May 18. Installation work on the new 6-inch diameter ductile iron water main should begin during the week of May 20 – 24, along with much more saw cutting of pavement by a subcontractor. Installation of the new water main and replacement of water taps to ten customers is to be completed by the end of June.

Information Technology

The FCC recently put out a press release regarding a rise in “One Ring” robocall scams.

From the press release:SCAMMERS LOOKING TO DEFRAUD CONSUMERS BY PROMPTING EXPENSIVE CALL BACK

Consumers Should Not Call Back Unknown Late-Night Callers Using the ‘222’ West African Country Code

WASHINGTON, May 3, 2019—The Federal Communications Commission is alerting consumers to reported waves of “One Ring” or “Wangiri” scam robocalls targeting specific area codes in bursts, often calling multiple times in the middle of the night. These calls are likely trying to prompt consumers to call the number back, often resulting in per minute toll charges similar to a 900 number. Consumers should not call these numbers back.

Recent reports indicate these calls are using the “222” country code of the West African nation of Mauritania. News reports have indicated widespread overnight calling in New York State and Arizona.

Generally, the One Ring scam takes place when a robocaller calls a number and hangs up after a ring or two. They may call repeatedly, hoping the consumer calls back and runs up a toll that is largely paid to the scammer.

What to do:

Do not call back numbers you do not recognize, especially those appearing to originate overseas.

File a complaint with the FCC if you received these calls: www.fcc.gov/complaints

If you never make international calls, consider talking to your phone company about blocking outbound international calls to prevent accidental toll calls.

Check your phone bill for charges you do not recognize.

Advances in technology allow massive amounts of calls to be made cheaply and easily. In addition, spoofing tools make it easy for scammers to mask their identity. The FCC is working to combat scam calls with enforcement actions, a strong push for caller ID authentication, and support for call blocking tools. Another key tool is consumer education like this alert and the FCC’s One Ring scam consumer guide: https://t.co/pROJ0ldMXv

Municipal Services

Code Red Notification System

The City of Eden has a Code Red Notification System to help make residents aware of changes to garbage collection due to weather or holiday closings, missing persons and any road closures. The system is also used for other public service and emergency related announcements. If you are not receiving the notifications and are interested in being included, please contact Georgette Spence at 336-623-2110 option 3 and have your name and number(s) added to the Code Red notification list. If you are an Eden resident, there is no cost to receive these notifications.

Parks & Recreation

Community Accents Program & Parks & Recreation Radio Program

Staff participated in the Community Accents Program with WLOE (Wonderful Land of Eden) radio on May 10 and will be participating in the same program on June 14. In addition, staff participated in the Parks & Recreation Radio Program with WLOE on April 24 and will be participating in the same program again on May 24 to update the public on our recreational program offerings during the months of May, June and July. We remain involved in these community outreach efforts in an effort to update residents about the programs being offered by our Parks & Recreation Department.

Be Healthy Rockingham County

Staff continues to be involved with Be Healthy Rockingham County initiative. They attended the Be Healthy Rockingham County meeting on May 8 and will attend the June 12 meeting as well.

Freedom Park Splash Pad & Bathhouse Update

VORTEX continues the construction of the Freedom Park Splash Pad, and anticipates that the Splash Pad will be complete in late May or early June 2019. Once the Bath House is completed in June and the landscaping and fence is installed, then this facility will be open.

Cirrus Construction continues working on the construction of the Splash Pad Bath House and all work has been completed on the exterior of the building except for the tin on the roof and painting. They are now finishing the painting on the inside and outside of the facility, installing plumbing and electrical on the inside and installing doors and windows. The Bath House is scheduled to be completed by June 23, but if the weather continues to cooperate, it could be completed sooner. Staff hopes to open this facility sometime in late June or the first of July.

Easter Egg Hunt @ Freedom Park

The Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Freedom Park was held on April 20 and was well attended.

Eden Youth Council Kickball Tournament @ Freedom Park

The Eden Youth Council sponsored their second Annual Elementary School Kickball tournament at Freedom Park on May 3 – 4. The Eden Police Department served as referees and all involved had a fun time.

Relay for Life @ Freedom Park

The 2019 Relay for Life event was held at Freedom Park on May 3.

Youth Fishing Derby

The Annual Youth Fishing Derby was held at the Fireman’s Hut Pond on May 4.

Softball Tournaments @ Freedom Park

There is a Top Gun Softball Tournament at Freedom Park May 25 – 26. In addition, there is a Got Game Tournament June 1 – 2, a Top Gun Tournament June 8 – 9, and a Top Gun Tournament June 15 – 16.

Senior Games

The closing ceremonies for the Senior Games for Rockingham County will be held at Morehead High School on May 18. For additional information, please contact Georgette Spence at gspence@edennc.us.

Bocce Ball Court @ Freedom Park

A regulation size Bocce Ball Court has now been installed at Freedom Park next to the batting cage area next to the three softball/baseball fields.

Mill Avenue Swimming Pool – Opening

The Mill Avenue Swimming Pool will be opening for the 2019 season on Saturday, May 25.

Summer Day Camp – Opening

The summer day camp program will start at the Bridge Street Recreation Center on June 4 and will run through August 9. For additional information, please contact Georgette Spence at gspence@edennc.us

Concert In The Park/Cruise-In @ Freedom Park

The next Concert in the Park/Cruise-In will take place at Freedom Park on May 25.

Putt-Putt Course – Opening

A putt-putt course has been installed at Freedom Park and will be opening to the public on Saturday, May 18. For additional information, please contact Georgette Spence at gspence@edennc.us

Repaving Projects – Update

The walking tracks at the Mill Avenue Recreation Center and Bridge Street Recreation Center will be repaved prior to the end of June. In addition, the parking lot at the Leaksville Landing has now been paved and the walking track at Freedom Park has now been resurfaced.

Fencing Projects – Update

The Positively Eden strategic planning committee approved and has recommended to the City Council that funding be approved to replace the ball field fencing at the Draper and Spray ballfields. If approved by the City Council during their meeting on May 21 the work will be completed by June 25.

Planning & Inspections

Code Enforcement

207 notices have been mailed by certified mail and first class mail that affect the following number of properties: 140 for high grass, 4 for high grass and disabled vehicles, 9 for high grass and junk storage, 5 for junk storage, 8 for disabled vehicles, 4 for violation of Human Habitation Standards 1 for a sight obstruction and 2 for violation of the Non-Residential Maintenance Code.

Bids were requested and received on two properties.

The demolition of 233 The Boulevard has been completed. A change order is expected concerning a possible awning to be replaced and capping of the remaining masonry on the common wall with the adjoining property owner. This should be complete in May.

Two of the demolition jobs awarded at the March City Council meeting have started and should be completed by the end of May. The property owner of one of the jobs awarded at the March meeting has requested that the Draper Volunteer Fire Department assess his house for burning rather than demolition.

Collections

$5,778.00 has been received in payments on code enforcement fees due. Monthly Statements were mailed out on May 3.

Letters were mailed to all property owners that have had code enforcement fees due for abatements completed since June 1, 2018, advising them that any amounts not paid by June 1, 2019, will be transferred to the Rockingham County Tax Department for collection with their real property taxes. The City Attorney and our staff are working together to begin tax foreclosures on properties that have been mowed by the City of Eden for several years and still has a house located on the property which could be an asset in selling the property at public auction.

GIS

We have provided maps for Economic Development projects as requested. GIS data has been provided to NC Department of Transportation on future projects such as the bridge over the Dan River on NC 700 just outside Draper. In addition, water data required to be reported to the State of North Carolina is now being required in GIS format so we assisted staff in submitting the data in the requested format.

ISO

We received our new ISO rating on Monday, May 13. The rating is based on a 1-10 scale with 1 representing exemplary commitment to building code enforcement. Our previous ratings were a class 3 for residential and a class 4 for commercial. We are pleased to report that our new ratings are class 3 for residential and class 2 for commercial.

Preparations for Land Use Regulations Update

The City Council approved this project at their April regular meeting. As a staff, we are making adaptations to make this work happen.

Stadium Drive Sidewalk

We have submitted the forms and documents through the NCDOT Local Project Management portal. The next step is the RFLOI for the Project. (Request for Letters of Interest) for the design and engineering.

Local Landmark Report

Received an application and prepared the case report for local landmark designation for Rivermont (351 W. Meadow Rd.) and submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for review. Took photographs of property and did background research. Case presented to Eden Historic Preservation Commission on May 13. The Commission recommended in favor of the landmark request. We are now waiting on comments from the SHPO. This case is scheduled to go to the City Council in June.

Zoning Map Amendment Z-19-05

Prepared case report for rezoning request for property located at 531 Glovenia St. from O&I to R6. Recommend amending the request to include most of the O&I area along Boone Rd. and Glovenia St. Recommend in favor of the amended request. Case to go to Planning Board on May 28.

Zoning Text Amendment Z-19-06

Prepared case report for request to allow indoor mini-storage as a permitted use in the BSC district. Recommend in favor of the request. Case to go to Planning Board on May 28.

Zoning Text Amendment Z-19-07

Prepared case report for request to allow mini-storage and warehouse facilities as permitted uses in the BSC district. Recommend in favor of the mini-storage request; recommend against the warehouse request. Case to go to Planning Board on May 28.

Zoning Map Amendment Z-19-08

Prepared case report for rezoning request for property located at Harrington Hwy. from BH-2 to RS. Recommend amending the request to include entire BH-2 are at Harrington Hwy., NC 770 and Beddingfield Rd. Recommend in favor of the amended request. Case to go to Planning Board on May 28.

Community Appearance Commission

Commission met on May 7. Prepared minutes and agenda before meeting. City staff purchased and planted flowers in the planters on Washington St. at the Commission’s request. The monthly Community Appearance Award given to Salon 209 located on Washington St. Commission also discussed possible clean up of old Reynolds cemetery located at the nature trail on the Freedom Park property. Made plans to spray vegetation on site and to try and organize a cleanup of the site. There was discussion about problems with littering and ways to address the issues. The Commission also discussed truck traffic on non-truck routes and the resulting damage to city streets and sidewalks. The Commission discussed the status of trail markers and an information board for the Matrimony Creek Greenway.

Historic Preservation Commission

Commission met on May 13. Prepared minutes and agenda before meeting. Heard a presentation from representatives from the old Draper Speedway and discussed ideas to help preserve the track. Discussed request of a State Historic Marker. Staff will work on this request. Also discussed upcoming racers’ reunion planned for June and the replacement of existing historic district signs. Received quotes on new signage to coordinate with new “branded” signage throughout city. The Commission will request funding for this project, possibly from the Positively Eden Strategic Planning Commission. The Commission also discussed involvement with the cleanup of the Reynolds cemetery property and a possible marker.

We received information concerning this project from NCDOT. Based upon engineering expertise and various meetings with citizens, City Council and staff, they are recommending Alt. 1. This will create a Super Street. I have spoken with them in the past about pedestrian accommodations. They estimate sidewalks to cost +/- $284,000 and the city’s match would be approximately $57,000. We would also need to take ownership of what they are calling Buckingham Lane and CVS Road. Buckingham Lane is from an old map we have seen before. CVS Road would not be my first choice for the name of the other street.

Stadium Drive Sidewalk Project - Update

We have submitted the forms and documents through the NCDOT Local Project Management portal. The next step is the RFLOI for the Project (Request for Letters of Interest) for engineering and design work.

Local Landmark Designation Request

Prepared case report for a local landmark designation application for Rivermont (351 W. Meadow Rd.) and submitted to SHPO for review. Took photographs of property and did background research. Case presented to HPC on 5-13-19. Commission recommended in favor of the landmark request. Waiting on comments from SHPO. Case to go to Council in June.

Police

Municipal & County Administration Academy Graduation

Deputy Chief Simpson completed the final week of the County and Municipal Administration class at UNC-Chapel Hill during the week of April 10 – 12and has now graduated from this program. Congratulation to Deputy Chief Simpson on this accomplishment!

Junior Achievement Program

The Eden Police Department is participating in the Junior Achievement Program, for the second year, at Central Elementary. Junior Achievement helps students realize that the education they are getting today will help them to have a bright future tomorrow. Sergeant David Stepps and Lieutenant David Lamberth have completed their classes at Central.

Stand Against Litter

On March 19, the Eden Police Department posted a Public Service Announcement on the Eden Police Department’s Facebook page asking citizens to Stand Against Litter as part of the countywide campaign to aggressively enforce littering and illegal dumping violations. We will continue to replay the announcement each month and we are aggressively enforcing littering and illegal dumping statutes.

Eden Youth Council Kickball Tournament

Officers with the Eden Police Department volunteered for the Eden Youth Council Countywide Kickball Tournament on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4. Members of the Eden Police Department had a great time and would like to congratulate the City of Eden Youth Council on job well done. This was a great event and members of the Eden Police Department look forward to volunteering for this event in the future.

In January 2019, we implemented a new power point presentation (video) for individuals with outstanding warrants. This power point presentation is currently being utilized on our Eden Police Department Facebook page every three to four weeks. The slide show highlights individuals with outstanding warrants to include a photo, name, and current outstanding charges.

We encourage our residents to visit the Eden Police Departments Facebook page to view the individuals with outstanding warrants. Anyone having information is asked to call the Eden Police Department at 336-623-9755 or Rockingham County Crime stoppers at 336-349-9683.

At this time, we are on schedule for our projects and our documentation submittals to the EPA and NC Water Infrastructure for our grant and loan funding. The Mebane Bridge digestion improvements project is tentatively scheduled to have a contract signed around June 1, and the contractor will begin construction of this project soon thereafter. This is the first of the remediation projects and opens the door for the city to begin drawing reimbursements from grant and loan funding for engineering work completed to date. The remaining projects of the remediation plan will bid in sequence between June and September. All projects in the remediation plan should be approved and ready to begin by January 1, 2020. Our fourth

Semi-annual progress report to be submitted to the EPA as part of the Administrative Order on Consent will be due by May 21. Staff is currently working on this report and we plan to have it ready to mail by May 15.

Southern Virginia Mega Site at Berry Hill

Haymes Brothers Inc. of Chatham, VA won the bid to install the City of Eden water line to the VA state line. They were the lowest of the three firms who bid on the project. This line will provide most of the water to this industrial park. The bid was roughly $1.5 million under the engineering firm estimate for the construction portion of this project. Haymes Brothers is currently extending the City of Eden sewer line from the VA state line to the Mega Park. On April 30, 2019, the NC Division of Environmental Quality approved engineering plans for the water line project, clearing the way for the City to secure a $1.0 million grant previously approved for the project. The engineer’s estimate for this project was $7,072,000. We hope to have this project underway by July 1, 2019. Construction is expected to take about 18 months to complete.